love is all you need

Sorry I disappeared for a while there.  I guess I have a few reasons

·          Master Knitter swatches do not really make good blog reading… you’ve all seen what seed stitch, ribbing and increases/decreases look like, right?

·          Joey and I have been doing a 60-day gut buster workout thing and sometimes that makes me too tired to even look at the computer when I get home.

·          I am just completely boring right now; my house is a mess because we are trying to ‘pare down’ on household items that we won’t need/won’t have room for in new york, which has become a full time job in itself.  I just think about the amount of work and time and energy something like that takes and then I decide to ignore it and go hide in my room and watch reruns of Frasier.

I’ve really been looking for some knitting stuff to get excited about lately, but I ‘m stuck in a knitting guilt triangle.   I have three projects going right now:

·          Master Knitting Level 1: this one is my top priority, but I find that I have to make sure I pay attention to my gauge the whole time = not conducive to relaxing tv knitting.

·          My So-Called Scarf: about halfway done, beautiful, but I no longer have that cool winter breeze in my sails that would make me rush to finish it.  Plus, MK level 1 takes precedence.

·          Thermal.  Oh, god, thermal.  I really want to have this sweater, but I really don’t want to put in the effort anymore.  I’m at the part where you have to do armhole and neckline shaping at the same time, and I don’t know if I have enough brainpower for that right now.  And again, MK level 1 takes precedence.

In knitting news, I am still working away at my Master Knitter Level I swatches.  I was starting to think I was close to the end, but I still have to knit two swatches, reknit three more, knit a hat, write a report on blocking, and finish off answering a million questions about gauge and increases and decreases.  Oh, and there are a kajillion ends to be woven in…

The real reason I wanted to post today was to talk about something that affects everyone on this planet: cancer.  I’m sure if you haven’t been directly impacted by cancer, you can name at least five people you know that have.  Cancer is a big deal and it is everywhere.  In the past 10 years, 3 people in my family have been diagnosed with it.  Only one of them is still alive today.  Not only is it a horrible disease, but the treatment options are pretty horrible as well.  My mom was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma a few years ago and was told that if she didn’t go through with chemotherapy she wouldn’t live more than 6 months.  She chose the chemo, lost her hair, got incredibly sick and thin, but defeated the cancer.  Unfortunately that life-saving-chemo has also taken about 10 years off of her life.  Her heart function will probably never get back to normal and she will always have to deal with chemotherapy’s ugly after effects.

My family and I have decided to participate in the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life, which will be held in Fort Worth, Texas on April 4-5.  I am accepting donations, and you can visit my personal donation page here. 

Relay For Life is an overnight event where teams of volunteers and survivors are formed to walk throughout the evening in honor of loved ones who have battled cancer.  The walk is lit by luminaria, which are also in honor of cancer victims and cancer survivors.  If you do not wish to donate directly for my participation, please consider purchasing a luminaria in honor of someone you know who has been impacted by cancer.  You can purchase a luminaria here.

Okay guys, give me the straight truth here. Here's swatch one versions a and b for my Master Knitting project. I know the ribbing tension looks better in swatch b, but is it good enough? Do you want to point out any other glaring errors that I am mentally blocking myself from noticing right now?